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. S. D. WRIGHT.

. GAR FENDER.

m 528,057. Patented ont. 23,189.4.

TATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVANUS D. WRIGHT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,057, dated October23, 1894.

, Application led December 20,1893. Serial No. 494'160- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SvLvANUs D. WRIGHT,"

of the city, county and State of New York, have invented a newandImproved Car-Fender, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription. y

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved car fender,which is simple and durable in construction, very effective andautomatic in operation, and arranged to prevent people from being runover and injured by street and other cars. u

The invention consists principally of a trip-` ping gate hung on thefront end of the car, and connected with a spring-pressed screen frameto normally hold the latter in a raised position in front of the wheels,the said frame being provided with spring pressed side wings adapted toopen n the downward movement of the said spring frame.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details, andcombinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and thenpointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective View of the improvement as applied and withthe frame and wings in a lowermost position. Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation of the improvement as applied and with the screen frame andwings in a raised position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the trippinggate. UFig. l is an inverted plan vievcr of theimprovement as applied,and Fig. 5 is a transverse section of 1 the same on the line `5 5 ofFig. 2. On the under side of the platform of the car A, and directly infront of the truck is` secured a transversely-extending beam B, carryingat its forward face a series of brackets B', in which is journaled ashaft C', forming part of a screen frame C, adapted to catch and holdpersons falling under thecar at the front end thereof. This screen frameU is provided with a metallic frame C2, having its front end C3 slightlybent upward, as plainly shown in Fig. 2, so that when the screen frame Cswings out of its normal raised position, downward, then the said frontend C3 rests with its side barslon the rails of the car track, as willbe readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. The screen frame C2 iscovered by a netting `Ciof wire, rope or other suitablemateriahsuficiently strong, however, to readily support the weight of ahuman being. y

In order `to securely hold the screen netting in a stretched positionwithin the frame C2, `Ip provide a series of longitu`dinally-ex-Ltendingbraces C5, extending from the shaft C to the transverse bar ofthe frame, as plainly shown in Fig.` 4. f On the top surface Aof thefront transverse barofthe frame C2 is secured a strip C, of `rubber orother suitable flexible material, so as to shieldthe person when rollingonto the screen frame. The latfter is provided with a rearward extensionCT extending upwardly and slightly rearwardly, as plainly shown in Fig.2, so as to form a back for the screen4 frame. On the side bars of theframe C2 are pivoted side Wings E, similarly constructed to the screenframe by being provided with a strong metallic frame covered with anetting, as plainly shown in the drawings.` Each wing E is pressed on bya spring E', so as to cause thewiug to readily swing downward andoutward at the time the said wing is released from a xed pin F, se-

cured in the transverse beam B neareach' outerend thereof.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and `5, that as long as thescreen frame C is in an uppermost position the wings E stand in anapproximately vertical position, and are held in this position by thepins F engaging the outer faces of the said wings. Now, when the screenframe C swings downward, the wings E move with it, and thus pass awayfrom the supporting pins F, which permit the springs E to impart anoutward swinging motion to the Wings, so that the latter swing downwardand outward until the free ends of the wings come in contact with thepavement on. the outside of the car track rails. See Fig. l.

means attached to the under side of the car platform. See Fig. 2. Thesprings D also serve to insure an easy upward movement of the screenframe in case a person rolling over the screen frame against theextension Cl exerts pressure against the latter with the tendency toswing the screen frame upward.

In order to hold the screen frame C normally in an uppermost position,as shown in Fig. 2, I provide the front cross bar of the frame C2 with alink G, formed at its upper end with an eye G adapted to engagea boltI-I, fitted to slide longitudinally in suitable bearings I and I',secured to the under side of the car platform. A spring J, is coiled onthe bolt H and rests with one end on a collar Il', secured to the saidbolt and at its other end against the bearing I.

The spring .I serves to hold the said bolt Hv in an innermost positionwiththe extreme inner end of the bolt abutting against astop H2,directly in the rear of the bearing I, so that the eyeG of the link Gcannot be accidentally displaced or become disengaged from the bolt H,unless the latter is drawn forward. The forward end of the bolt H isconnected by a chain K, with aprojection L formed on the top of thetransversely-extending shaft L2 of a tripping gate L,hung under theplatform at the front end of the car. Thelshaft L2 is journaled insuitable bearings N, secured to the under side of the platform, the saidframe being free to swing in either direction. When, however, the frameL, strikes an obstruction on the track, say a person that has fallen onthe track in front of the car, then the gate L is swung rearwardly onthe forward movement of the car, whereby a pull is exerted onf the chainK and the" bolt II s o that the latter is drawn forward and out ofengagement with the eye G of the link G. The latter thus drops andthereby releases the screen frame C, so that the latter swings downwardby its own weight and aided by the force of the springs D. The lattercause an instant downward movement of the screen frame, so that itsfront angular part C3 is positively down on the car track to pick u-pthe person or other object that has passed the gate L.

As previously described, the screen fra-me C on its downward movementreleases the said wings E from their stop pinsF, so that the saidV sidewings swing downward and`outward onto the pavement outside of the cartrack, to prevent the person, or his arms or legs, from becomingentangled under the car wheels in case the said person should roll outsid'ewise over the respective wing. Thus, the wings serve'as a shieldfor the person, at the same time having the tendency to move Itheobstruction to one side away from the car. It will be seen that by thisarrangement the operator in charge of the car is not called upon tomanipulate any part of the device, but is left free toattend to hisduties,

in stopping the car as quick as possible after an accident has occurred.By the arrangement of the tripping gate L in front of the screen frameand the mechanism connecting the latter with the said gate, the entirecar fender is rendered automatic.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. A car fender, comprising a movable screenframe, means for lowering the same,

nected with the sides of the said screen frame and adapted to beunlocked on the downward movement of the screen frame, subi stantiallyas described.

2. A car fender, comprising a tripping gate hung'on the front end of thecar, a springpressed screen frame normally held in raised position andadapted to be tripped by the said gate, and spring-pressed side wingspivoted on the sides of the said screen frame and adapted to be unlockedon the downward swinging of the screen frame, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. A car fender, comprising a tripping gate hung on the front end of thecar, a spring pressed screen frame normally held in raised position andadapted to be tripped by the said gate, spring-pressed side wingspivoted on the sides of the' said screen frame and adapted to beunlocked on the downward swinging of the screen frame, and fixed pinsfor holding the said side wings normally in a vertical position,substantially as shown and described.

4. A car fender, comprising a pi-voted spring-pressed screen frame whosemain portion extends forward from its pivot, means secured to the frontend of the screen' frame for holding the same suspended in a raisedposition, a sliding bolt adapted toeng'age and hold the upper end of thesaid suspending means, and a tripping mechanism having an operativeconnection with the said bolt to withdraw it from engagement with thesaid suspending means and thereby release the screen frame,substantially as described.

5. A car fender, comprising a pivoted screen frame having an extensionforming a back, a spring held on the car and connected with the saidextension, to instantly cause the said screen frame to swing downwardwhen released and to offer resistance to the screen frame when pressedon at the said extension by the object passing onto the screen frame,side wings pivoted on the side bars of the said screen frame, springspressing` on the said wings, and fixed pins for normally holding thesaid side wings in an uppermost position, substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. Acar fender, comprising a-pivoted screen frame having an extensionforming a back, a spring held on the car and connected with the saidextension, to instantly cause'the said screen frame to swing downwardwhen re vand spring-pressed side wings loosely con- IOO IIO

IZO

leased and to offer resistance to the screen Withdrawn to release thesaid link and to trip frame when pressed on at the said extension thescreen frame, substantially as shown and 1o by the object passing ontothe screen frame, described` a link held on the free end of the saidscreen 1 5 frame, a bolt engaging the said link, and a SYLVANUS D'WRIGH'I' gate hung on thefront end of the car and Witnesses:` connectedwith the said bolt, so that on the THEO. G. HOSTER, rearward movement ofthe gate, the boit is C. SEDGWICK.

